Gems Pearls of Wisdom of the Salaf

Sufyān b. ‘Uyainah – Allah have mercy on him – said:

The first step in knowledge is to listen, then to be quiet and attentive, then to preserve it, then to put it into practice and then to spread it.

Abū Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyā` Vol.3 p283.
 
"O son of Adam, how is your heart ever going to be softened by the recitation of Qur'an when all you read for is to reach the end of the surah"
Al Hassan Al Basri
 
It is reported that ‘Abd Al-Rahmān b. Mahdī – Allāh have mercy on him – said, “If it were not for the fact I hate that Allah is disobeyed, I would have wished that no one remain in this city except that he had spoken ill of me and backbitten me; for what is nicer than a good deed a man finds in his records on the Day of Resurrection without having done a thing or even having known?”

Abū Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyā` 4:45.
 
Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allah have mercy on him – said:

Do not sit with an adherent of bid’ah for he will cause a disease in your heart.

Ibn Waddāh, Al-Bida’ p124.
 
Muhammad ibn Salam says that Umm Salamah used to send Umm ul-Hasan to do anything for her. Al-Hasan used to cry in his mother’s absence; so Umm Salamah would breast-feed him for some time. She would also bring him out to the Companions of the Prophet while he was still young. They would pray for him. Once he was bought to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said: “Allahuhummah Faqqih’hufiddeen wa habbib ilayhin naas’ (”O Allah! Make him well-versed in religion and make people love him.”)
 
Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allah have mercy on him – said:

When a man sought knowledge, it would not be long before it could be seen in his humbleness, his sight, upon his tongue and his hands, in his prayer, in his speech and in his disinterest (zuhd) in worldly allurements. And a man would acquire a portion of knowledge and put it into practice, and it would be better for him than the world and all it contains – if he owned it he would give it in exchange for the hereafter.

Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iqVol.1 p.156.
 
It is reported that before his death, Abū Mūsā Al-Ash’arī – Allah be please with him – used to exert himself intensely in worship. It was said to him, “If only you would slow down and go easy on yourself.” He replied, “When steeds are let loose and come close to the end of their course they finish by giving it all they have, and what remains of my life is less than that.”

Al-Dhahabī , Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` in his biography of Abū Mūsā Al-Ash’arī.
 
ʿAbdullah Ibn ‘Abbās – Allah be pleased with them – was once asked, “Who do you think is better: a man who has few (good) deeds and few sins or a man who has many (good) deeds and many sins?” He replied, “There is nothing like being safe.”

Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iqVol.1 p146, no.57.
 
It is reported from Abū Mūsā Al-Ash’arī – Allah be pleased with him – that he said:

We the Companions of Allah’s Messenger – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – never had difficulty in understanding a ḥadīth except that when we asked ‘Ā`ishah we found she had some knowledge about it.
 
Ibn Al-Muhallab reports that he heard Abȗ Mȗsā Al-Ash’arī – Allah be pleased with him – standing on his minbar (pulpit) saying:

Whoever Allāh has given some knowledge should teach it. And he must not say anything he has no knowledge of, lest he become one of the pretenders and leave the religion.

Ibn Sa’d, Al-Ṭabaqāt 4:102. Maktabah Al-Khānjī, Cairo.

daʿwah, knowledgeAbū Mūsā Al-Ash’arī
 
"If the hearts are pure, they will never have enough from reciting Allah's words (the Qur'an)."
[Uthman ibn Affan - radiyAllaahu 'anhu]
 
Imām Al-Shāfi’ī said:

People didn’t become ignorant and didn’t differ amongst themselves except because they left Arabic and leaned towards the language of Aristotle.

Quoted by Al-Suyūṭī in Ṣawn Al-Manṭiqp15. He said on p22:

I have found Salaf before Al- Shāfi’ī indicate what he did: that the cause of heresy (al-ibtidā’) is ignorance of Arabic language.
 
Al-Fudayl b. ʿAyyāḍ [187H] – Allah have mercy on him – said:

“Allah ‘azza wa jalla accepts only those deeds which are both correct and sincere (pure). If the deed is done correctly but not sincerely, it will not be accepted. And if it is sincere but not correct, it will not be accepted.” He was asked, “Abū ‘Alī! What is the sincere and correct deed?” He replied, “The sincere deed is one that is done only for Allah ‘azza wa jall. And the correct deed is one done according to the Sunnah.”

Abū Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyā` Vol.8 p95.
 
A Sign of Knowledge and a Sign of Ignorance

Masrūq – Allah have mercy on him – said:

Sufficient as knowledge for a person is that he fears Allah, and sufficient as ignorance for a person is that he feels impressed with the knowledge he has.

Al-Ājurrī in Akhlāq Al-‘Ulamā’ no.40.
 
Abū Al-Dardā’ – Allah be pleased with him – said:

It is from a person’s knowledge and understanding that he sees to his needs first in order to turn to his prayer with a heart free of distractions.

Ibn Al-Mubārak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā’iqVol.2 p726

dunyā, prayer, worship
 
Imām Al-Shāfi’ī said:

Whenever any people of desires (heretics) came to Mālik he would say to them, “As for me, I am upon clarity as regards my religion. As for you, you are a doubter, go and argue with another doubter like yourself.”

Al-Dhahbī in Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā’ under the biography of Imām Mālik.
 
Al-Hārith b. Qays – Allah have mercy on him – said:

When intending to do something good, do not delay it until tomorrow. When involved in something to do with the hereafter, keep yourself involved as long as you can. When involved in some worldly matter, put your mind to it (so as to get it done). And if you are praying and Shaytān whispers, ‘You are showing off,’ then make your prayer even longer.

Ibn Al-Mubārak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Rqā’iqVol.1 p126
 
‘Aṭā’ narrates that there used to be a young man who used to go to Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah to ask her questions and she would narrate to him. One day, he came to her to ask her some questions. She said, “Son, have you put into practice what you hear from me yet?” He replied, “No mother, I have not.” So she said, “Son, why do you then seek to increase Allah’s proof against us and you?!”

Al-Khatīb Al-Baghdādī in Iqtidā’ Al-‘Ilm Al-‘Amal no. 92.
 
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If only this was in fashion

‘Urwah b. Al-Zubayr – Allah have mercy on him – said:

‘Ā’ishah – Allah be pleased with her – gave seventy thousand (dirham) in charity, while her own skirt used to be patched.

‘Abdullah b. Mubārak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā’iq Vol. 1 p588, no.705.
 
Abū ‘Uthmān Sa’īd b. Ismā’īl Al-Naysābūrī (d290H) said:

Whoever governs himself by the Sunnah – in word and deed – will speak with wisdom. But whoever governs himself according to his own desires will speak heresies (bid’ah); because Allah tabāraka wa ta’ālā said:

And if you obey him (the Messenger) you will be guided. [Sūrah Al-Nūr: 54]

Abū Nu’aym in Al-Ḥilyah Vol.10 p244, and others.

After mentioning this and other similar narrations Shaykh Al-Islām Ibn Taymīyah said (Minhāj Al-Sunnah Vol.5 p117):

It is as they said, for if a person does not follow what the Messenger came with he will act according to his own wishes. Thus he will be one who follows his desires without guidance from Allah.

bidʿah, SunnahAbū ʿUthmān Al-Naysābūrī
 

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